Push-button



J. E. WHITE. PUSH BUTTON.

(No Model.)

No. 460,416. Patented Sept. 29,1891.

Emm /whop- JUHN E WHITE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. VHITE, OF SYRACUSE, NEXV YORK.

PUSH-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,416, dated September 29, 1891. Application filed August 21,1889. Renewed August 21, 1891. Serial No. 403325. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN E. I-IITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Push-Buttons for Electrical Call-Bells, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in push-buttons employed in connection with electrically-com nected call-bells in hotels and other large buildings, and one of the prime objects of the invention is to provide a button of the class described which, in addition to its usual fn motions, is capable of use as an automatic alarm in case of fire, in which instance the parts are actuated to complete or close the circuit and the alarm sounded, whereby not only is the presence of the fire made apparent, but can be positively located.

To such end and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the peculiar combinations and the construction and arrangement of parts whereby the button is positively separated when a predetermined degree of heat is reached in the compartment where the device is located, which separation causes said button or a certain portion thereof to be forced into contact with a fixed contact-point or to separate the contacts, according to whether the device is used with a closed or open circuit.

The novel features of the invention are clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a section through the push-button case, the button being constructed in accordance with my invention and being shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a similar view minus the Wall or partition, with the button separated, as when caused by the presence of fire. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of the button intact. Fig. 4 is a like view of the casing, tube, and fusible alloy of the button. Fig. 5

is a perspective view of the fusible rod removed.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by figures, 1 represents a wall or partition, to which is secured in any suitable manner the base 2 of the button-case, which is provided with a screwthreaded boss, to which is detachably c011- nected the screw-threaded cap 3, which is apertured as shown to provide a chamber, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. In this instance the cap is shown with an interior annular shoulder 4, surrounding the aperture in the cap through which the push-button passes. To the base 2 of the cap there is secured within the chamber in the cap the contactplate 5, having the fixed contact-point 6.

7 is a terminal connected with the contactplate 5, and 8 is the otherterminal, these two terminals being the terminals of an electric circuit, which are supposed to be in electrical connection with an annunciator of any known construction located at some common point with other similarly-constructed buttonsfor instance, in the office of a hotelwhereby an alarm sounded upon any one of the buttons will operate the annunciator and designate the room or apartment from which the alarm is sounded and to which attention is called.

The terminal 8 is connected with a spring 9,formed of any well-known conducting metal and carrying upon its under side a contactpoint 10, arranged in line with the contact point 6 and arranged to contact therewith, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

This spring 9, although shown in the drawings as a semi-convolute flat spring, need not of necessity be of such shape.

The push-button is fitted loosely within the aperture within the cap 3 and is constructed as follows:

11 is the casing, formed near its larger end with the annular shoulder 14:, which is designed to rest within the annular recess 45*, formed in the cap and to bear against the shoulder 4..

12 is a metallic cap fitting loosely within the enlarged end of the casing 11, which latter is formed with an endless shoulder 14, against which the end of the cap 12 abuts to limit its movement in. one direction. The cap 12 is formed with a central screw-threaded boss 12 which is designed to receive the screwthreaded end of the connecting, device 15, which in the present instance is shown as a hollow rod. The other end of this rod is turned outward to form an angular flange 21. The spring 9 is connected with or attached to the cap 12, so as to follow the same in its movements.

22 is a shell or tube formed at its outer end with the flange 23, which is seated in an annular recess 24 in the casing 11, so as to be flush therewith. The end 25 of this shell is apertured, as at 26, through which aperture the rod 15 is designed to work loosely.

20 is a spring interposed between the cap 12 and the outer end of the casing 11, finding one point of resistance against said outer end and the other against said cap. The tendency of this spring is to separate the cap 12 from the casing; but this action is prevented by the interposition of the fusible composition 27, arranged within the shell 22 and confined between the end 25 of the casing and the flange 21 of the tube or red 15. The shell 22, near its inner end, is provided with openings 28 to admit of the escape of the melted fusible composition. 1 form the fusible composition into a tube, as shown in Fig. 5, before assembling the parts. The tube should be of smaller diameter than the interior of the shell, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, so as to provide a space 29 between the tube and the inner wall of the shell, which space com mu-- nicates with the external air, as shown at 30, affording provision for the ingress of heat and the egress of the melted composition.

WVith the parts constructed as above described it is apparent that by pressing on the button in the usual manner the contact-points 6 and 10 will be brought into contact with each other and an electric circuit made or closed,thus sounding an alarm on the annunciator. By removing the pressure from the button the same will assume its normal posit-ion, as shown in Fig. 1, through the action of the spring 9, thus separating the contact-points and opening the circuit.

The spring 20 should be of much greater power than the spring 9, so as to overcome the same when it is freed by the melting of the fusible composition. Normally the parts occupy the relative positions in which they are shown in Fig. 3, and thus operate as an ordinary push-button; but in case of fire the temperature of the apartment would soon reach above 122 and the fusible composition 27 would be m elted and destroyed, th us removing the barrier to the tube 15 (which has heretofore been held against the action of the spring by said fusible composition) and liberating the spring 20, which expands to such a degree as to *force inward the cap 12 and bring the contact-point 10 against the contact-point (3, thus closing an electric circuit and automatically causing an alarm to be sounded.

I do not confine myself to any particular fusible composition, as any fusible compound may be employed that is of sufficient density to overcome the tension of the spring 20, and the fusing-point may be varied to suit different circumstances under which the device may be employed.

It is evident that the device as above described may be employed in buildings employing automatic fire-alarm signals as a thermostat, irrespective of its capacity as a push-button.

hat I claim as new is l. The combination, with the casing and separable cap, of the connecting device, the normally-inactive spring adapted, when released, to separate the cap from the casing, and the cylindrical fusible retainer confined around the connecting device between the cap and the flange on the outer end of the connecting device, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the casing, the shell, and the separable cap, of the connecting device, the normally-inactive spring, and the cylinder of fusible composition within the shell around a portion of said rod and holding the connecting device and cap against the tension of the spring, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the casing, the cap, the normally-inactive spring, and the shell within the casing and provided with holes 28, of the rod 15, attached to the cap, and the fusible composition within the shell and normally holding said rod against the tension of the spring, substantially as shown and described.

1. The combination, with the casing having an annular shoulder 14 at its base and an annular recess 2% at its outer end, of the cap 12, abutting against the shoulder 11, the shell having an annular flange 23 seated in the recess 2%, the normally-inactive spring, the rod 15, connected with said cap and passed through an opening in the shell, and the fusible composition within the shell and acting in opposition to the spring, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the outer casing having a perforated cap, and a contact-plate mounted on the base of the casing and connected with one terminal of an electric circuit and having a contact-point, of a pushbutton mounted on the spring secured to the base and connected with the remaining electrical terminal and having a contact-point adapted to come in contact with the first mentioned point, said button consisting of a casing and a cap-piece, the two being loosely connected by a red the head of which passes through a shell and is supported in position against the tension of a spring, and an easilyfused tube surrounding said rod within said shell and against which its outer end bears, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. WHITE.

Witnesses:

M. CALHOUN KELLY, OSCAR CooN. 

